*New message received from New Love Times*:
“Dating in this competitive world can be quite a test if you lack those skills to text!
Want to improve them? Quickly subscribe to our website, as we offer you the texting tips that can ensure a happy dating life!”
We all love texting, don’t we? It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it is by far the best way to avoid a confrontation. It allows you to think twice, before you actually say it (or does it?!) – no stumbling, no mumbling! Then why has it ruined more relationships than it has mended? In our generation, every relationship begins with a (helluva!) lot of texting rather than verbal conversations. Thus, one way that ‘connections’ can survive depends heavily on what I would like to call, the “chemist(ext)ry!
Suggested read: Texting etiquette – should I text him first?
The ‘heavy texting disorder’ has put us into the habit of creating an idea of a person through their texts rather than by finding out who they are in person. More often than not, the idea we create overrides the reality. Nowadays, the toughest deal while dating is not figuring out what to say while you two are together, but instead, what to say (and not to say) when you’re away!
When in doubt, avoid ‘pretexts’ and follow these rules.
The Dos
1. Chat room
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: “….Coffee?”
: “Are you a mind reader? That’s exactly what I was about to say!”
Texting is an adjunct to dating, and should be used accordingly. It should help you to get to know one another better, but should in no way become the only way to get to know each other. It is an aid to communication, but it can ironically hamper your bond as it may disrupt your real life interactions. Do make sure it is only an add-on, smoothing an already strong in-person connection.
2. Cute(xt)
Image source: Pinterest
: “I love you and movies and pizzas and minions and Tumblr… But you still top the list!”:*
The sweet nothings mean everything in a world that’s moving so fast. A ‘THINKING OF YOU’ text has helped sustain a number of relationships despite crazy schedules and work pressure. This thoughtfulness especially wields magic in a long distance relationship, where couples can get really lonely and down. A “How are you, babe?” after a trying day at work, can be a priceless pick-me-up.
3. Grammar Nazi
Image source: Grammarly
: “Are you listening to me?”
: “What?”
: “I really like you, and when you are not there, something is missing from my hart.”
: “I guess an ‘E’.”
Nothing turns one on faster than a grammatically correct love text! Never ever underestimate the sex appeal hidden in good English. In the movie Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams’ character tells his students, “Language was invented for one reason, boys, to woo women.” This doesn’t apply as one of the texting tips for guys, but for the other sex as well. So stop being lazy and brush up on your spelling skills.
4. T(ext)ickle 😉
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: “I wrote a song about a tortilla, but I guess, it is more of a wrap!”
This is one among the most crucial texting tips: the hilarity quotient should always be high or else the whole deal starts becoming monotonous and stale. Dating advice can often be conflicting or confusing. Text first. Don’t text for an hour or two. Spam the heck out of their messenger. Blah! Blah! Blah! But if there’s one thing that all advisors (!) would agree upon, it is the sense of humor! And if the humor is self-deprecating, it works wonders, but make sure you don’t stretch it to a point where you actually convince the other person of your worthlessness!
5. Make them smile(y)!
Image source: Pinterest
Emojis are the most fun part of texting and you should know how to blend them well to spice things up! Texting tips for women: keep things in view. Don’t go super silly with the emoticons and make them your only voice.
6. Fakebook Messenger
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
: “So you love basketball like I do, huh?”
: “Yep, totally into it. Just saw them score a goal.”
You are who you are. If you pretend to be someone else, your truth will come out in an uglier way (maybe on a date!). To save yourself from this tragedy, talk honestly about your tastes and your likes and dislikes. You will soon find something common to talk about. I am sure there is some truth to the phrase ‘opposites attract’!
Suggested read: Texting tips – should I text her first to start a conversation?
The Don’ts
7. Auto (correct?)
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: “I think we need to spend some time apart.”
: “Wow, Bailey!
I always knew you were playing games with me.
Well, I am the one who doesn’t want to be with you!”
: “I meant, we need to spend some time at the park*!”
I suggest that you make changes to your text settings and AVOID predictive text when texting someone you’re dating! This feature has created more misunderstandings between couples than an outsider can even imagine! Also, when the system isn’t (in)correcting it for you, you will read over what you’ve written twice before hitting the “send” button!
8. Breaking Bad
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: “We are never ever ever ever getting back together!”
: “Is this Taylor Swift?
Breakups are really hard; texting about it and getting it done and dusted can seem inviting. Beware. This is a faux pas! The longest distance between two people, they say, is misunderstanding. There is no mix-up in this world that cannot be talked out in person. Not only can it help you avoid the breakup, but it can also strengthen the bond! But in case it doesn’t work, you had come to call it quits anyway, so what do you care?!! Be man/woman enough to end things in person. You owe at least that much to the person you were with.
9. Time zoned!
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
: “How do you keep an idiot in suspense?”
: “How?”
“I don’t know how?”
“Tell me how?”
“Oh!”
What is the perfect time to respond to a text message? This is a question that haunts couples or couples-to-be in the initial stage of dating. Replying too quickly may be perceived as being “needy and over-eager,” while taking a jolly good time can be seen as “not interested”! We suggest that you be honest but practical about this. If you really like the other person and are not genuinely busy, replying to the text as quickly as possible saves the drama and may also get things going for you. But you have to ward off the temptation to drop everything like a hot brick and reply to an unnecessary text! ASAP is the cue!
10. Text bomb!
Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
: Report Spam
: Report Spam
: Report Spam
This is an absolute NO! It is the surest way of coming across as a pain in all the wrong places! Do not pelt the phone of a person you are in love with, with text after text. It will not only piss them off, it will remind them of their mommies! Now that’s not where we want to be, do we?
11. Mr. & Mrs. Right (Now)!
Image source: Pinterest
: “Sleep with me?”
: “I wanna baby!”
: “This is one of those times, being grammatically correct is very important!”
Don’t sextext a person you have just met unless all that you want from them is a hookup! Plus, it isn’t safe because once sent, the message is not private anymore. And a grammatical goof up can cost you heavily in situations like these!
12. Final destination
Image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
Well, you want to know, what’s funny about texting when you are driving?! NOTHING.
Texting while driving, irrespective of whether you are dating or not (I don’t care!), is fatal. In many countries, it is even illegal. Moreover, if you want to spend the rest of your life with “the recipient,” risking your life and even jeopardizing others on the road (who may still be single!) is utterly daft! Don’t do it. Period.
Dating in the digital age can be quite tricky. A little bit of miscommunication here, a faux pas there, and the ride ends before it’s even started. Combined with all of these factors are the emoticons with such variety that you don’t know where to use half of them!
Suggested read: 10 things you MUST do at the start of a relationship
Butterflies in your stomach and a cell phone in your hand – don’t get so elated that you stop even reading what you are sending (or else, your recipient will stop reading it too!). Texting helps you say things that you cannot when you are face-to-face with your crush. So use that to your advantage without being creepy and over the top. According to Anna Post, “The premise of etiquette and how we socialize with one another is not a new concept. Whenever we interact with another person directly or through the use of mobile technology, etiquette is a factor.”
All these directions and texting tips are just standard steps that you should keep in mind; they are not in any way carved in stone. They are just a guide to get you started and keep you on the right track.
Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image under Creative Commons License
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